Are Our Facebook Friends Stressing Us Out?

Our Facebook friends are stressing us out! That’s the takeaway of a new study, which found that the longer and more diverse a person’s “friends” list gets on Facebook, the more stressed they feel.

Ben Marder is a marketing expert who led the new study. And he says it boils down to how other people expect us to behave. Because the average Facebook user now has friends in at least seven different social circles – including co-workers, family, and people we meet through our spouse. And because we relate to each of those groups in different ways, it’s hard to communicate in a way that everyone can agree with. Also, the more people we connect with on Facebook, the more likely we are to post something that’ll offend somebody!

Marder says that explains why more of us are now presenting a watered-down version of ourselves online. So, instead of saying what we really think or feel, we’ll post something more mild and acceptable, like what we had for lunch. It’s also why it’s becoming more common to see people at parties hiding from cameras, or saying things like: “Don’t put that on Facebook!”

As Marder puts it, quote: “Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends – where you could get away with dancing, drinking, and flirting.” But today, he says your Mom, Dad, and boss are at the party, too. And that’s stressing a lot of us out, because we suddenly have to think twice about everything we post!